Made by a Fabricista: Montauk + Chai = Casual Summery Outfit

Hey sewing friends! I hope your summer is treating you right thus far and you're soaking in the rays (if that's your thing). I've basically been sewing current-season clothes as of late, but I just realized that these pants will happily see me through practically the end of the year.

By this point, you know how much I love linen! I love sewing with it and I love wearing it. I reached a little outside my comfort zone with this color, choosing a light and pretty Cornmeal Linen and I'm really happy that I made the effort. This texture is really lovely and quite soft. While some linens like to crease deeply, this texture is far more of a light rumpled effect. Perfect because they look presentable right out of the dryer. The nuanced buttery yellow is a little lighter than I imagined and quite a lively neutral. I had planned from the get-go for this yardage to be some type of bottom half of an outfit, and this will look marvelous with many solid colors or prints on top, don't you think?

Because linen makes good pants even more magical, I poked around for a pattern style that would pair nicely and came across the Liesl + Co Montauk Trousers. Just the word "trousers" alone elevates them well beyond "pants." 😂 They appear nicely drafted and include great illustrated instructions. I checked the fit with a quick pocketless muslin in size 4 and my only change was add 1/2" to the back rise. Easy! They are straightforward and if you're familiar with sewing pants, you probably won't even need to reference the instructions. The hem slit is a particularly great detail, and I'm imagining adding elastic to the hem cuffs for a different look on another pair.

My Montauks needed an equally summery top, so I stuck with the same designer, Liesl + Co, and fell in love with the shoulder pleats of the Chai Tee. Again, the instructions included are very clear to follow (always important to me!) as are the illustrations. I love a soft, drapey knit top, and as a bonus, the Chai Tee states you can size up and sew a woven too. The shape of the sleeve cuffs is beautiful, and the yoke is sewn with a burrito roll so the inside is finished neatly. There's nothing like a finished garment that's classy inside and out.

My Chai Tee fabric is a slightly weighty and completely gorgeous shade of dark pink called Muted Wine. The fibers are a blend of rayon and cotton and lycra. The cotton lends some perfect sturdiness since rayon I find can be delicate in any fabric weave, and I love love love the 8% lycra content. The fabric recovers so well and maintains the beautiful drape too. After sewing with the higher lycra content a few times, I vastly prefer this amount in a rayon knit.

And we get to the cherry on top! How gorgeous are these Kylie and the Machine tags? I've been admiring them on Instagram for ages, and finding them at Fabric Mart was a big thrill. They add a level of professionalism to my clothing and are really stinkin' cute at the same time! This pack has 14 teeny tags, two of each color and I had a lot of fun musing over which color label to add to my garments. I will definitely be adding more KATM tags to my sewing projects and getting my hands on more of the different designs. They are just a delight.

I hope you're inspired to add a new designer to your repertoire or to try a fun color of linen in your upcoming sews.

Happy summer!

KATIE | @kak513

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories JERSEY KNIT & LINEN.
You can also shop our newly added Liesl + Co Patterns HERE.
And our selection of Kylie and the Machine tags HERE.

Made By A Fabricista: Why Sew A Muslin

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